5. Promise to Fight Together

Love Worth Fighting For.

Night had fallen. After spending the whole day with Farez, Zera was picked up by her private driver at their last meeting place. Meanwhile, Farez drove himself home. Along the way, smiles never left their faces. Their promise to fight for their love gave them new hope amid the many challenges they would face together.

Upon arriving home, Zera stepped out of the car with light steps. She briefly greeted several house staff who welcomed her at the door, then entered the grand residence of the Cornelius family.

Her heart, which had been full of happiness, suddenly turned tense as she passed the living room and found her father, Mr. Cornelius, known for his authority sitting on the sofa, staring at her sharply.

“Zera,” Mr. Cornelius called in a firm tone.

“Where have you been? It’s already this late, and you’re only just coming home,” he said with a piercing gaze.

Zera, startled for a moment, tried to calm herself.

“Oh my, Dad. You startled me!” she said, beginning to realize that her father was upset with her.

“I just got back from a school reunion, Dad,” she answered with a small smile.

“A school reunion that lasted all day? Do you even know what time it is now? Don’t you have a curfew as a young lady?” her father continued, his tone rising.

“You’re getting older, and it seems like you don’t want to listen to your father anymore, do you?” he added emotionally.

Zera took a deep breath, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation.

“After the reunion ended, my friends and I hung out at the mall for a while, Dad. I’m sorry for coming home a bit late.”

Mr. Cornelius was about to continue scolding her when Mrs. Debira, Zera’s mother, entered the living room and immediately stopped her husband from scolding their daughter.

“That’s enough. Don’t be so angry,” Mrs. Debira said.

“Zera already asked for my permission this morning. Besides, it’s Saturday night. There’s nothing wrong with her enjoying time with her friends.”

“This isn’t about whether she asked for permission or not,” Mr. Cornelius replied irritably, looking at his wife.

“A young lady should know her curfew! If it were about work or company matters, I could understand. But this, Zera is wasting time on useless things!” he said firmly.

Zera, who had been looking down, raised her head and looked at her father. She wanted to respond to his words, but he spoke first.

“And one more thing. This weekend, our family has been invited by my business associate to their house. Zera, you must come. Don’t embarrass the family!”

Zera simply nodded slowly.

“Yes, Dad. If there’s nothing else you want to say, I’ll excuse myself to my room.”

Without waiting for her father’s response, Zera turned around and walked toward her room upstairs. After closing the door, the beautiful girl immediately lay down on her soft bed. However, the ringing of her phone suddenly broke the silence. She picked it up and saw the name on the screen, Abdiel.

Zera let out a long sigh. Abdiel, a man who had been trying to get close to her since high school, was contacting her again. However, Zera had no special feelings for him. Reluctantly, she pressed the button to reject the call.

“Abdiel! Why don’t you ever get tired of bothering me?” she muttered in annoyance.

Zera then stared at the ceiling of her room, and her smile slowly returned as memories of Farez came to her mind.

“Farez,” she murmured softly.

“I’m so happy to be with you again.”

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door.

“Zera, may Mom come in?” came Mrs. Debira’s gentle voice from outside.

“Just come in, Mom,” Zera replied as she sat up on the bed.

Mrs. Debira opened the door and entered her daughter’s room. She looked at Zera, who seemed different tonight.

“You’re smiling to yourself. What’s going on, dear? It seems like you’re very happy.”

Zera blushed.

“Oh, it’s nothing, Mom,” she said, still smiling.

Mrs. Debira sat beside her daughter, gently holding her hand as she said,

“You know you can tell me anything. So, what’s making you this happy?”

Zera could no longer hide her secret. Shyly, she answered,

“I … I have a boyfriend now, Mom.”

“What? A boyfriend?” Mrs. Debira was surprised but tried to hide it so as not to make Zera anxious.

“Who is he, Zera? Come on, tell me. I want to know who managed to steal my beautiful daughter’s heart,” she said curiously.

“Farez, Mom. He was my boyfriend back in high school. We met again at the reunion today, and we decided to fight for our relationship.”

Mrs. Debira looked at her daughter with mixed emotions. She knew that her husband, Mr. Cornelius, had big plans to arrange a marriage for Zera with the child of one of his business associates. However, seeing the happiness on Zera’s face, she couldn’t bear to ruin this moment.

“Farez… I think I’ve heard his name before. He’s a good boy, isn’t he?” she asked carefully.

Zera nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, Mom! Kak Farez is very kind. Back in high school, he always supported me. And even now, he’s still the same. I know this won’t be easy, but I want to fight for our relationship.”

Mrs. Debira smiled faintly, though she felt worried inside.

“Zera, you do know that your father might not agree, right? He has other plans for your future.”

Zera lowered her gaze.

“I know, Mom. But I believe Farez can prove himself. I just want to be given a chance.”

Seeing her daughter’s determination, Mrs. Debira felt both proud and worried. However, she decided to support Zera for now, at least.

“Alright, Zera. I won’t say anything to your father. But you have to be ready to face the consequences. If you truly love Farez, prove that you can get through all these challenges together.”

Zera nodded, her eyes shining.

“Thank you, Mom. I promise I’ll do my best.”

After talking for quite some time, Mrs. Debira left Zera’s room. Outside, she paused for a moment and let out a long sigh. In her heart, she prayed that her daughter would find happiness, even though great challenges lay ahead.

Inside her room, Zera lay down on her bed again. She held her phone tightly, as if she wanted to call Farez and tell him everything. But she knew that tonight was enough for her to remember his smile and the promises they had made together.

“Farez, I will fight for our love too,” she whispered softly before finally closing her eyes, her heart full of happiness.